F1 opens up digital rights with Movistar+ in new TV deal
Formula 1 has granted Spanish broadcasters Movistar+ increased digital rights and content opportunities as part of its new TV deal which will keep the sport on its pay TV channel until at least the end of the 2020 season.
Movistar+ secured the F1 TV rights in 2014 and will continue to broadcast every session, qualifying and race live in Spain for the following three seasons. New digital rights have also been included in the latest deal with F1, with new owners Liberty Media eager to open up its coverage both on TV and on social media to reach a wider audience.
Formula 1 has granted Spanish broadcasters Movistar+ increased digital rights and content opportunities as part of its new TV deal which will keep the sport on its pay TV channel until at least the end of the 2020 season.
Movistar+ secured the F1 TV rights in 2014 and will continue to broadcast every session, qualifying and race live in Spain for the following three seasons. New digital rights have also been included in the latest deal with F1, with new owners Liberty Media eager to open up its coverage both on TV and on social media to reach a wider audience.
Previously no live video content was allowed to be broadcast on digital platforms outside of its TV channel but the new deal is expected to allow clips and some short live video pushed out on Movistar’s social media and digital channels.
“Spain is one of the most important European markets for Formula 1 and, thanks to this partnership, the Spanish fans will be able to continue to enjoy the spectacle provided by the pinnacle of motor sport 24/7 on a dedicated channel, Movistar F1,” Ian Holmes, Director of Media Rights in F1, said. “We will be also help Movistar+ to produce exclusive content for its distribution across their digital and social media platforms, which will contribute to broaden the fan base and its engagement.”
Alex Martinez Roig, Movistar+ Content Manager, has echoed Holmes’s comments with the common target of reaching a wider audience to increase the F1 fan base.
“We are poised build an ambitious project with Formula 1, with one specific goal in mind – broadening the Formula 1 fan base and meeting its wildest expectations,” Roig said. “Most of the fans are tech savvy viewers and the online environment is the niche we want to explore and where we anticipate a major breakthrough.”
The Spanish deal marks the fifth new TV agreement secured since Liberty Media purchased the sport's rights, with Australia, France, Germany and the United States all set to begin new contracts in 2018, as the F1 owners look to alter the way the sport is broadcast under its control.
